flashed from their sheaths. In an instant, the horses
were at full speed sweeping over the level ground.
The lion had not observed us; but, upon hearing
the sound of the hoofs, he halted and raised his
head, regarding us for a moment with wonder, as
we rapidly decreased our distance, when, thinking
retreat advisable, he bounded off, followed by the
excited hunters, as hard as the horses could be
pressed. Having obtained a good start, we had
gained upon him, and we kept up- the pace until we
at length arrived within about eighty yards of the
lion, who, although he appeared to fly easily along
like a cat, did not equal the speed of the horses. It
was a beautiful sight. Aggahr was an exceedingly
fast horse, and, having formerly belonged to one of
the Hamran hunters, he thoroughly understood his
work. His gallop was perfection, and his long steady
stride • was as easy to himself as to his rider; there
was no necessity to-guide him, as he followed an
animal like a greyhound, and sailed between the
stems of the numerous trees, carefully avoiding their
trunks, and choosing his route where the branches
allowed ample room for the rider to pass beneath.
In about five minutes we had run the lion straight
across the plain, through several open strips of mimosas,
and we were now within a few yards, but unfortunately,
just as Taher and Abou Do dashed forward in the
endeavour to ride upon either flank, he sprang down a
precipitous ravine, and disappeared in the thick thorns.
This ravine formed a broad bottom, which, covered
with dense green nabbuk, continued for a great distance,
and effectually saved the lion. I was much
disappointed, as we should have had a glorious fight,
and I had long sought for an opportunity of witnessing
an attack upon the lion with the sword. The
aggageers were equally annoyed, and they explained
that they should have been certain to kill him.
Their plan was to ride upon either flank, at a few
yards’ jj distance, when he would have charged one
man, who would have dashed away, while the other
hunter would have slashed the lion through the back
with his sword. They declared that, a good hunter
should be able to protect himself by a back-handed
blow with his sword, should the lion attack the horse
from behind; but that, the great danger in a lion hunt
arose, when the animal took refuge in a solitary bush,
and turned to bay. In such instances, the hunters
surrounded the bush, and rode direct towards him,
when he generally sprang out upon some man or
horse; he was then cut down immediately by the
sabre of the next hunter. The aggageers declared
that, in the event of an actual fight, the death of
the lion was certain, although one or more men or
horses might be wounded, or perhaps killed.
The morning gallop had warmed our nags after
their bath in the cool river, and we now continued
leisurely towards the stream, upon the margin of
which we rode for several miles. We had determined
to set fire to the grass, as, although upon poorer soil
it had almost disappeared through the withering of the